Maharashtra has received just 41% of central funds for mid-day meal, SSA, 3 other schemes

NEW DELHI: With less than a month remaining of the current financial year 2024-25, the central government is yet to release almost 59% of funds allocated to Maharashtra for various school education-related schemes, shows fund disbursement data presented by the central government in the parliament on Monday.

Data furnished by the education ministry, in response to queries by the ruling BJP MP Anup Dhotre from Akola, shows that the central government has released only around Rs 1,343 crore against Rs 3,287 crore allocated as its share for five key programmes - Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States (STARS), Prime Minister’s Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI), Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society (ULLAS) and Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN), better known as the mid-day meal scheme.

The schemes, which cover everything from providing school mid-day meals to evaluating academic progress, have been suffering from payment delays for the past several years, with dues pending since at least 2021-22. The proportion of arrears varies across schemes, with not a single rupee released for ULLAS in the current as well as the previous fiscal.

School education programme dues for 2024-25 (all figures in Rs. crore)

Funding for all centrally-sponsored schemes under the National Education Mission is shared by the union government and states - for most states, centre contributes 60% towards the scheme expenditure while the state provides the remaining 40%.

Mid-day Meal Scheme: Highest dues

The highest dues have been reported for the centrally-sponsored PM POSHAN scheme, under which mid-day meals are provided to students in government-run and aided schools.

Of Rs 1,329.2 crore central share for Maharashtra in 2024-25, the government is yet to give almost Rs 902 crore, amounting to 68% of the total allocation. The total arrears of the scheme since 2021-22 stand at Rs 1,410 crore or 30% of the appropriated amount.

The funding woes have resulted in the state withholding the honoraria paid to the cooks and helpers preparing and distributing the food for the past several months. In response to representations from teachers’ and labour organisations, the state education department blamed the delayed grants for unpaid compensation.

Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan funds delayed

Maharashtra has also been awaiting around Rs 553 crore out of Rs 1,322 crore meant for SSA, the centre’s overarching scheme for school education that funds school infrastructure, academic programmes and teacher training among a slew of other initiatives. The centre hasn’t released around Rs 300 crore in each of the financial year since 2021-22, running the dues up to more than Rs 1,526 crore (31% of cumulative allocation).

The World Bank-supported STARS programme, aimed at improving learning outcomes and school governance in six states, including Maharashtra, has been particularly affected by funding delays. The state is yet to receive around 60% of the allotted money over the last four years, including Rs 244 crore (76% of allocation) in the current financial year.

School education programme dues from 2021-22 to 2024-25 (all figures in Rs. crore)

* PM SHRI figures are for 2023-24

** ULLAS figures are from 2022-23

Even PM SHRI suffers

The new programmes introduced by the current ruling alliance at the centre haven’t fared any better. The PM SHRI initiative, which aims to transform select government schools around the country along the provisions of the National Education Policy (NEP), has got only 23% of the Rs 303 crore that’s supposed to come from the centre’s kitty. Around two-thirds of the money earmarked for the scheme in 2023-24 is still to come.

As many as 827 schools - 207 primary, 468 elementary, 110 secondary and 42 senior secondary - have been selected from the state for this project. The BJP-led union government is withholding SSA funds from three opposition party-ruled states – Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Kerala – for not signing the agreement to convert selected schools in these states into PM SHRI ones.

ULLAS, launched in 2022 for imparting functional literacy to the adults who missed schools, got the most raw deal, as no money has been given to the state in the last two years for the scheme despite Rs 14 crore sanctioned in each of the fiscal. The centre did provide Rs 5.68 crore as part of its share in 2022-23. The reason for the nill disbursement, according to the ministry, is the slow pace of expenditure.

According to the centre, the states prepare the Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWP&B) Proposals for these schemes based on their requirements and priorities. These plans are then appraised and approved by the Project Approval Board (PAB) in the Department of School Education and Literacy in consultation with the states based on the programmatic and financial norms of the respective schemes, as well as the state’s earlier physical and financial progress. The central share is released to the respective state government in two or more instalments.

The proposals for 2025-26 are still being approved, said the ministry.